Jeff Kaplan
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World of Warcraft was meant to have viable levelling gear from professions way back in 2004, but the designers on raids…
This article discusses how World of Warcraft's original design intended for professions to provide viable leveling gear from the start, a goal that was undermined by some designers secretly boosting their own crafted items' power. The author notes that this issue has been addressed in the modern game, with crafting now offering competitive items for players during their leveling journey.
Wild West-themed survival shooter Legend of California pushes early access back to next year
The Legend of California, an open-world survival shooter, has delayed its early access release to sometime next year due to significant performance issues encountered during alpha testing. Game director Jeff Kaplan and tech director Tim Ford confirmed the delay, stating that server stability is the primary concern holding back the launch. The developers are aiming to meet server performance metrics before early access, with content largely in place.
MMO Week in Review: Funcom’s folly
Funcom has confirmed significant layoffs and the stepping down of its CEO as part of a restructuring effort. The company will now focus on its existing titles, Dune: Awakening and Conan Exiles. This news comes amidst a broader week of MMO updates, including RuneScape halting its Reignited plans and Enshrouded launching its 1.0 release.
Betawatch: Enshrouded launches as Guild Wars 3 starts sharing social hubs
Enshrouded has officially launched into version 1.0, exiting early access. Meanwhile, Guild Wars 3 has previewed its first social hub, and World of Warcraft Forever is preparing for a server slam stress test. The article also lists numerous other games in various stages of beta and early access testing.
Former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan has cut all ties with the game
Former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan stated in a recent interview that he has completely cut ties with the game and has not played or looked up anything related to it in the five years since leaving Blizzard Entertainment. Kaplan cited the immense pressure from Activision as a factor in his departure.
Jeff Kaplan discusses indie dev, his post-Overwatch life, and fixing Legend of California’s busted ladders
Jeff Kaplan, currently working on the Wild West survival game The Legend of California with his studio Kintsugiyama, discussed his transition from Blizzard Entertainment and the game's development. He expressed a preference for not being the public face of a game and finds indie development freeing, despite facing fiscal realities. Kaplan also confirmed his disconnection from Overwatch and highlighted that fixing issues like the game's ladders is a positive sign for The Legend of California's progress.
'I Just Sort of Disconnect' — Jeff Kaplan is Avoiding Overwatch at all Costs
Former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan revealed that he actively avoids engaging with online discussions and subreddits related to Blizzard's hero shooter to protect his mental well-being. He disconnects entirely from the game's community.
Ex-Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan ignores everything about the hero shooter after his 'almost clinical' departure 5 years ago: 'I don't search for my name in Overwatch. I don't search for Overwatch. I sort of just disconnect.'
Former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan revealed he has completely disconnected from the game and its community since his departure from Blizzard five years ago. He described his exit from World of Warcraft in 2008 as a precursor to his eventual departure from Overwatch, leading to a deliberate separation from the title. Kaplan is now working on a new cowboy-themed survival game called The Legend of California with former Blizzard developer Tim Ford.
Ex-Overwatch Director Jeff Kaplan Says He Never Wanted The Spotlight, But The Game Needed A Face
Former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan reflects on his public-facing role, stating he never sought the spotlight but felt it was necessary for the game's growth and fan engagement. He discusses the personal cost of dealing with player toxicity and his relief in stepping away from Blizzard to work on his new studio's game, The Legend of California.
Jeff Kaplan Says Seperation From Overwatch Was “Clinical”: ” I Never Go Back”
Former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan stated he has maintained a "clinical separation" from the game since his departure from Blizzard in April 2021. He explained that to protect his own mental well-being and focus on his new independent game, The Legend of California, he avoids engaging with Overwatch content online. Kaplan drew parallels to his earlier departure from World of Warcraft, noting that stepping away from that game was more emotionally impactful.
Jeff Kaplan Was An Industry Icon, Now Peers Ignore His Emails: Ex-Overwatch Director Talks “Humbling” Reality Of Indie Dev
Former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan discusses the humbling transition from AAA development at Blizzard to leading his independent studio, Kintsugiyama, and its debut title, The Legend of California. He reflects on the challenges of indie development, including industry contacts ignoring his emails, and emphasizes the importance of a developer-run studio focused on creative integrity over corporate mandates. Kaplan also shares personal inspirations for The Legend of California, drawing from his upbringing in California and his father's love for Westerns.
'I would love that but we're cheap and poor': Jeff Kaplan speeds through everything players should know about his upcoming cowboy survival game, The Legend of California
Jeff Kaplan provided details about Kintsugiyama's upcoming open-world survival game, The Legend of California, set in gold-rush-era California. The game will feature a sandbox world with activities like trading, fishing, and ranch building, supporting up to 100 players on public servers with monthly resets. Kaplan also discussed potential future features like holiday events and pets, while acknowledging the game's current financial limitations.
Former WoW designer says Blizzard had no way to measure maximum player DPS while building early raids—so the studio enlisted its strongest sickos to grind target dummies
Former World of Warcraft designer Wyatt Cheng revealed that Blizzard Entertainment lacked robust player data for measuring maximum DPS during early raid development. To determine boss tuning, the studio had employees test classes against target dummies and manually calculated damage output. This led to the implementation of mechanics like Enrage timers to ensure players met DPS requirements, a practice that has become a staple in WoW raid design.
The Fortnite/Overwatch crossover means we're talking about Tracer's butt again
A crossover event between Fortnite and Overwatch has reignited discussions about Tracer's character model, specifically her posterior. This echoes a controversy from Overwatch's early days, where changes to her victory pose led to fan debate about her proportions. The article speculates whether Epic Games intentionally altered Tracer's appearance for the Fortnite version.
Fortnite’s Overwatch Butt-Buffing Conspiracy Theory Goes All The Way To The Very Bottom
A conspiracy theory has resurfaced regarding Tracer's victory pose in Overwatch, with players claiming her character model's posterior was reduced in size. Recent Fortnite skins featuring Overwatch characters, including Tracer, appear to show her original, larger proportions, reigniting the decade-old debate. Blizzard Entertainment has not yet commented on the matter.
Fortnite's Overwatch Butt-Buffing Conspiracy Theory Goes All The Way To The Very Bottom
A conspiracy theory regarding Tracer's appearance in Fortnite, specifically concerning her character model's proportions, has resurfaced. Players noted that Tracer's in-game model in Fortnite appears to have reverted to an earlier, seemingly larger, version of her physique, reigniting discussions that began nearly a decade ago when her original victory pose was altered by Blizzard. This has led to significant player engagement and discussion online, contrasting with the reception of other recent Fortnite character additions.
Tracer butt investigation follows Overwatch into Fortnite 10 years later, even after Jeff Kaplan said Blizzard…
A decade-old controversy surrounding Tracer's character model in Overwatch has resurfaced following the character's inclusion in Fortnite. This discussion reignites debates about character design, fan service, and developer intent, with former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan previously addressing and debunking myths about the pose change.
Xbox scraps Microsoft Copilot in yet another win for new CEO Asha Sharma
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has announced the discontinuation of Microsoft Copilot development for consoles and mobile, prioritizing community connection and addressing player and developer friction. This decision marks a significant shift away from AI integration for Xbox, contrasting with Microsoft's broader AI initiatives and the continued embrace of the technology by other industry figures and companies.
Ex-Escape From Tarkov devs will "ride the wave" of AI, but stress "the finishing touch must always come from a human hand"
Former Escape From Tarkov developers at Nomion Games believe AI can be a valuable tool in game development, likening it to a sculptor's chisel for generating ideas and handling monotonous tasks. However, they stress that the final creative decisions and finishing touches must always come from human hands to avoid genericism and maintain game identity. The studio aims to carefully integrate AI to boost efficiency without compromising core gameplay elements or risking player backlash seen in other titles.
Overwatch director confirms Nintendo Switch 2 port fixes “in next few days”
Overwatch director Aaron Keller confirmed that fixes for performance issues on the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game are being worked on and are expected to be deployed within the next few days. The initial release of the free-to-play title on the platform suffered from framerate problems.
